I eat out a lot, and one of my favorites is Outback. While I was in there one night, a customer was speaking to a waitress (whom he knew) named Jennifer. He said that when he had first come in and asked for Jennifer, they asked, “Which one? There are EIGHT ‘Jennifers’ working here!”
Not every one ever had the opportunity to wait on me, but all of those who had were indeed very nice.
Parallel question: Does anyone know any smart (or at least non-bimbonic) “Heathers?” I think there is something about the name that automatically dooms an otherwise normal child to grow up to become an airhead, although I recently met one that isn’t.
A very sad poet was Jenny.
Her limericks weren’t worth a penny.
In technique they were sound.
Yet, somehow she found
Whenever she tried to write any,
She always wrote one line too many.
I don’t want to get all “Pit” on you in an otherwise lighthearted thread, but lack of parental creativity in the naming department is not a predictor of child personality traits. The movie “Heathers” was brilliant and funny, but my friend Heather the Ph.D. in linguistics and my roommate Heather the film producer might take exception to your assumption that they are airheads. To name a few.
I’ve often wondered how my name will stand up as I age. Because I don’t know any Jennifers who are that much older than me. I’ve had no Jennifer role models, so to speak. Upon hearing my name people can assume that I’m white and in my 20’s. Do people write me off? Would I get more instant respect if my name were Anne or Margaret or Katherine?
When it’s gonna get really spooky is 15 years from now when 1/2 of Congress is made up of Jennifers, Heathers, Kristins, and Melissas. And of course the entire Connecticut delegation will be named “Megan.”
Time on the East Coast: 26 years
Time in the same city where you lived: At least one year (I started G-town in 1992. I was a frosh scam waiting to happen!)
Time in Chicago: approx. 6 months.
Suuuuuuuuuuurrrrreeeeeee…NOW you want me. Story of my $%@#! life.
(Hey, at least we’re not hijacking Pit threads anymore).
Signed,
magdalene
President, Jens for a New and Improved World Order
As I’m sure everyone remembers the movie “Heathers”?
4 of the 5 Jennifers in my sixth grade were even worse. Some of the nastiest, most evil people I have ever met.
Overall, I would say I’ve seen the exact opposite from the OP - most Jennifers are to be watched carefully. Some have been ok, one or two were incredible people, but for the most part…
My mom’s best friend’s daughter is Heather. I don’t know her really well, but she’s extremely nice and friendly. According to my mom she’s pretty smart as well (of course, she gets all the info from Heather’s mom). But from all the times I’ve talked to Heather, I can tell that she is definitely not an airhead.
Also, my niece is Heather. She’s eight, and smart as a whip. (Once again, I understand that I am probably biased). Definitely not on the path to becoming a bimbo.
I went to high school with a Jenny. She wasn’t bad, but there was something off about her. She was kinda quiet and sad and dated losers she could have done a thousand times better than. She was the first person I ever met who was into techno. Last I heard, she dropped out of community college and she got engaged to one of her loser idiot boyfriends.
A friend of mine growing up was named Jenny. She was a very nice girl, then in ninth grade, she started going by her middle name (Helen) and turned into a bitch–not the normal Jenny bitch this thread seems to be about, but she got really pretentious, talked about Ayn Rand all the time, refused to see Life is Beautiful because she thought the title was silly, and would say things like “You haven’t read Foucalt yet? You simply must.”
The one Jennifer I was pretty close to for a while was snobby, pushy, spoiled rotten and “outspoken” to the point of abusing total strangers and friends alike for falling short of her Standards for the Human Race as it Relates to Jennifer. Believe it or not, all of this could be cute or funny in moderation (like when she’d lecture some schlub on the train about how leaning on people is rude), but eventually it all reached critical mass and I stopped talking to her. She needed way too much attention from and control over her friends.
On the other hand, the other Jennifer I know is my old neighbor’s daughter. She’s a sweet woman, who has come through some rough times and last I heard was making her parents very proud. Also known some Jennifers that were coworkers of friends, and they were smart, capable, completely non-bitchy people.
I was born in the Jennifer era. I literally knew dozens and all, save one, were total snobs. Bitches through and through…though oddly, I don’t think any of them could be considered slutty.
I knew a Jennifer who was a bully - in 6th grade she punched me in the stomach! The Jenny that I know is really sweet but she is a major quitter.
I only know one Heather but she is nice and also very athletic.
I knew one Jennifer in high school (very sweet) and I know one Jennie now. Jennie is her full name, it isn’t short for Jennifer. She’s pretty nice but she can be a total bitch at a moment’s notice.
The only Jennifer I’ve ever known of that was significantly older than I (I’m 24) was the Jennifer who was one of the “Two Fat Ladies” on the British cooking show.
I’ve dated three Jennifers, they were all “bad jennys”.
I’ve yet to meet a Jennifer I liked actually, and was always wondering quite the reverse of your OP Sua. Odd aint it.
You do know know that “Jenny” is the female term for asses (the animal, not the part of the body) don’t you? Yes, males are called Jacks and females are Jennys.
I assumed someone would mention it before now, but when no one did, I thought I’d better step in.
I probably should also mention that in the last few years there has been a movement afoot to change the designation for female asses from Jenny to Henny. I imagine it is the always powerful Jennifer lobby.
I worked for a agriculture newspaper for a while and they always had ads saying, “Jennys for sale” in the classified section. At first, I thought I had stumbled onto some strange mono-nominal white slavery ring, then my editor explained the Jack and Jenny thing.
I knew a Jennifer who was a total slut. She also had sex with her brother, but that wasn’t very unusual in that family, he tried to fuck everything with a vagina.
The Jenny that I know is really sweet but she is a major quitter.
